Ranma 1. Chapter 1

_**Ranma ½: The Madness of Ryoga! Pt.1**_

The storm seeded Nerima with a heavy downpour of rain. The streets became flooded and soon there was a power failure through the entire town.

Ranma & co. were in the Tendo household listening to the heaviness of the rain hit the roof, and they were kept occupied with the constant leakage of the roof. Ranma had supposed to fix it yesterday, but forgot about it. Now he wished he had. Just a few minutes ago he was drenched with cold, freezing water as a portion of the roof collapsed and dropped water on top of him.

This was one of the times he wished he wasn't cursed.

But there was an even bigger problem and one he himself had to deal with. With everyone in this house he was the only who knew of Ryoga's curse, or at least that was his impression. If anyone else knew, they didn't let on!

Ryoga had arrived just before the rain started and was now trapped in the house like everyone else until the rain stopped.

If he was P-Chan, the rain wouldn't bother him, however as human it was a major concern for him. He attempted to help in anyway he could, but he had to stay away from the water, and that was a major feat in itself. Everywhere he looked there it was.

He was scared that he might change into P-Chan right in front of Akane. But Ranma was trying to avoid that sending him to places where the water wasn't too bad. He even gave Ryoga a raincoat to help prevent his change. Ryoga appreciated his efforts, but even so, Ryoga was little help in the situation.

"When is this rain gonna stop?" Ranma complained, moving another bucket underneath a dripping portion of the roof in the tea room.

As the upstairs was flooded, it was coming through the ceiling to the main floor.

"We're all trying to make the best outta a bad situation, Ranma," Akane said. "You don't see any of us complaining, do you? You're suck a…

"…Girl?" Ranma finished, smirking.

Akane looked at him with distain stare.

"Please," Kasumi began. "Don't argue now, we need to work together."

"Kasumi's right," Nabiki chimed in. "Put your differences aside, for once."

"Thank you, Nabiki-dear," Soun Tendo said.

"Ranma," Genma said. "Stop fighting with Akane."

"Is everyone against me? At least I can count on Ryoga in a pitch."

"Where is Ryoga?" Akane wondered, looking around.

"I think he's upstairs," Ranma said lying. He was actually hiding in a closet. It was the safest place from the water. There was no leaking where he was. "He said he's gonna try to fortify the ceiling to stop the water from coming down."

"Doesn't look like he's doing a very good job," Nabiki said.

"Nothing's changed since he's been gone."

"Ranma, go check on him," Akane said, saying it almost as an order.

"Trust me," he said. "He's perfectly safe. He's in no danger."

"Check on him anyway, Ranma," Akane said adamantly.

Ranma rolled his eyes and sighed. He went down the hall and opened the closet door where Ryoga was hiding and found him huddled in a ball, his knees at his chest. "Help me Ranma, please," he said. "I don't wanna change in front of Akane."

"You won't as long as you stay outta the way and this is the safest place."

"But I feel so guilty cowering in the closest like this. I know I could be useful."

"You'd only get in the way no matter what the situation. You'll better off staying 'ere until the rain subsides. And from the looks of things you're in for a long wait."

"Too bad we didn't have some ofShampoo's Chinese water proof soap. It might've only worked for a brief time but I'd feel much better having it on me now."

"You're such a wimp, Ryoga. And what if Akane saw you? No prob. We'd just go back through Happosai's nanban magic mirror and prevent it. So stop worryin'. Things are under control. You worry too much!"

Ryoga thought for a moment, then said, "Yeah, but I'd prefer to stay out of the way and prevent it from happening in the first place."

"Fine, hide all your life, but no one respects a coward," Ranma said, and slammed the closet door on him.

Ryoga burst out of the closet and jumped on Ranma in a fit of anger. "I'm not a coward! You take that back!"

"Maybe if you fell into a spring that changed you into a chicken it'll be more appropriate," Ranma said.

"I AM NOT A COWARD!" he shouted.

Akane came around the corner. "I thought I heard voices," she said. They looked at her. "Ryoga, you're down here? Ranma said you were upstairs?" Then she saw Ryoga on top of Ranma. "Are you two fighting again? Honestly! Stop it and help us. There's lots of work to do 'round here."

"This isn't over, Ranma," Ryoga said, getting off him.

"Anytime, bacon-breath," Ranma said.

Ranma and Ryoga followed Akane to the tea room where the ceiling dripped water in several different places into buckets. "We need buckets emptied," he said.

Ryoga hesitated entering the room, but he didn't want to appear like a coward in front of Akane and braved he peril. But as soon as he went to pick up a bucket of water, a part of the roof collapsed, and dropped a large gush of water on the area.

Ryoga jumped out of the way, narrowly missed changing. Ranma looked back at him and said, "Wimp!"

"I'm not a wimp!" As long as he didn't get splashed or drenched he would be fine. So, to prove he wasn't a coward he picked up a bucket of water and carried it out to the open porch door. Then he dumped the water out where it added to the flooded backyard.

Ranma joined him, doing the same thing. "Now that is alotta water," he said. "It'll be a shame if someone fell into it." He smirked maliciously at Ryoga.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Chill out, will ya!"

"Sorry, but I'm so nervous with all this water around."

Suddenly the rain began to subside and then stopped completely. Water dripped from the overflowed gutters. "Sounds like it's over," Ranma said, smiled. "Your bacon-butt is saved once again from the evils of water."

"That's not funny, Ranma."

"Jeez! Lighten up!"

They were just about to return to the tea room when thunder rumbled violently, and both boys looked up at the sky; the sky was covered with thick, black clouds.

"Sounds like it's not over quite yet," Ranma said.

Ryoga took a step back, but accidentally slipped, and grabbed Ranma by the arm as they both fell into the flooded backyard.

But at the moment they fell in, the water was struck by a bolt of lightning, and both were rendered unconscious and floated on the surface.

"OH MY GOD!" Kasumi shouted, and the others looked at her, and then turned to where she was looking. "Ranma and Ryoga just fell into the water in the backyard, and it was just struck by lightning!"

_**To be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ranma ½: The Madness of Ryoga! Pt. 2**_

The company ran out onto the porch and saw the two boys floating face down in the water. Genma jumped in and grabbed both boys,brought them inside. He laid them down on the floor.

Akane leaned over them but heard nothing, touching her ear to their mouths. "They're not breathing!" she said loudly and scared.

Soun Tendo started to panic. Akane started mouth-to-mouth recessation on Ranma, and Genma Saotome did the same to Ryoga. Both boys coughed up water.

"Aw yuck!" Ryoga wiped his mouth of fur and animal spit. "That's disgustin', Pop!"

Ranma looked at Akane and couldn't believe he had touched lips with her. "Thank you, Akane, you saved me," he said.

"You weren't breathing," she said. Then she noticed his body. "Your body, it's changed!"

He screamed, panicked. _Oh no! I changed into P-Chan. But wait! I can't have, I can talk to her._

Butwhen he looked at his body he noticed he was wearing Ranma's clothes. Huh?

He turned to… Ryoga? But how can he be over there, if he was here?

"Ranma?" he said to the other.

The other looked at him. "Ryoga?"

"Are you two okay?" Akane asked.

"No, we're not!" Ranma said.

"What happened?" Ryoga asked.

And Kasumi told them.

"How is this possible?" Ryoga said. "You have my body."

"And you have mine," Ranma said. "The lightning strike, it must've done something when we fell into the water."

"But how come you're—I'm not female?"

Ryoga, in Ranma's body, wondered the same thing about his body. How come he hadn't changed into P-Chan?

"The lightning in conjunction with the water must've switched your consciousness with each other," Happosai said, suddenly appearing in the tea room from the hallway. "It's a freak of nature, but it has been known to happen from time to time. Ryoga's mind is inside Ranma's body and vice versa."

"How do we switch them back?" Akane asked.

"I don't know," Happosai said. "I've never known a Switcharoo to be reversed."

"Switcharoo?" Ranma, in Ryoga's body, said.

"That's what this is, it's called a Switcharoo. It's been happening for thousands of years. It can't be explained, as I said it's a freak of nature. And no one has been able to reverse the process. I'm afraid you two are stuck in each other's bodies."

"No way," Ranma said. "I aint being stuck in this wimp of a body for the rest of my life, I want my body back!"

"Shut-up, Ranma! And I am not a wimp!"

Ranma let out a couple of oinks, knowing how it would anger Ryoga.

Ryoga retaliated by getting to his feet and grabbing Ranma by his shirt, gritting his teeth in anger.

"Anytime, bacon-bits. I'm game when you are. I'll beat you even in your own body."

Ryoga smirked. "Not likely. For once, you're not match for me. And I'll prove it in YOUR body."

"Will you two stop fighting," Akane said. "Honestly, even after this, you're still at each other's throats."

Kasumi had a thoughtful look on her face and Nabiki noticed it, and said, "What's the matter, sis?"

"Why is Ranma, or Ryoga, not female? He fell into the water. He should have stayed the same. He's a boy now."

"I was wonderin' bout that myself," Ranma, or rather Ranma in Ryoga's body, said. He picked up a bucket of water. Ryoga looked at him shocked of what he was about to do.

"No, don't Ranma!" Ryoga cried out, putting his hands in front, as if that would stop the water from splashing him.

Then he splashed Ryoga with it, but he didn't change.

"Hey, my curse is gone!" Ranma said.

Ryoga growled at him angry. Even though he didn't change, he didn't like be used as a guinea pig to test a theory. What if he had changed? He'd be a buxom girl right now and that would be totally embarrassing.

"How is that possible?" Nabiki wondered.

"When they fell into the water and it was hit by the lightning, it must have done something to their molecular structure and nullified Ranma's curse," Happosai said. "Don't ask me how."

Ranma snorted dissatisfied. "Now that's not fair!" he said.

"Why do you say that? You're finally cured." Akane said. Then she realized the situation. "Oh." Then she smiled. "It isn't that bad. We'll find a way to get you back to your own bodies somehow. And we you do, you'll be cured, Ranma!"

"If it could be done, there's a problem," Happosai said.

Both Ranma and Ryoga looked at him with concern. "And why's that?" Ranma asked.

"Because in order for things to return back to the way they were, everything must return back to the way it was, and that includes the curse."

"So you're sayin' we're stuck this way then? And there's no way to change back!"

"For now, yes," he said. "But I assure you, I'll do everything I can to help. I can't bear not to touch those lovely buxom breasts again. So firm, so round—"

"Pervert!" Ranma said, with narrow, angry eyes.

Ryoga sighed. If they did find a way to change back, he'd once again be cursed with the pig. But if he stayed in Ranma's body, he'd never change again. Was living in someone else's body worth being rid of the curse forever?

Ryoga stood on his feet and Ranma watched him. "And where are you goin'?" he said.

"To contemplate my situation," he said.

"There's nuthin' to contemplate," Ranma said. "We're changin' back, and we'll use the freaks old magic mirror to do it. We'll go back a few minutes ago and stop you from slipping on the porch and taking me with you."

"Ranma, do you want to be cursed for the rest of your life? This is a way to nullify everything in one fail swoop. No more being afraid of water. Life back to normal."

"Life doesn't bother me, I like my life, and I want my own body back." Ranma got to his feet. "C'mon; to the old man's magic mirror, we're gonna reverse this thing right now."

"No," Ryoga said, crossing his arms across his chest. "I'm not going back to the way I was. I can finally have a normal life. It'll take some time to get used to being in your body, but I'm sure I can handle it."

"Are you nuts?" Ranma said. "Listen, I'm not being you for the rest of my life. I have my own life to live. I've spent sixteen years in that body and I'm not gonna discard it on a whim just to rid myself of some stupid curse. Give me back my body, Ryoga, or I'll take it from you."

"Just try it, Ranma," he said. "'Cause I'm not giving it up-- you'll goin' hafta fight me for it!"

"With pleasure," Ranma said, holding up a squeezed fist and gritting his teeth, smilingwith almost angry delight. "In the Dojo... NOW!"

"The dojo is flooded, Ranma," Kasumi explained.

"Everywhere is flooded," Nabiki added.

"Then right here," he said. "I'll fight him anywhere!

"Ryoga, why don't you want to change back?" Akane asked him.

"'Cause he's cursed too," Ranma said, crossing his arms across his chest andsmirking thinly.

Ryoga's mouth dropped with shock at Ranma's betrayal of his secret.

Akane expressed her shock of the news by looking at him wide-eyed and with her mouth agape. "You fell into Jusenkyo springs too, Ryoga?" she said.

"You said you'd never tell a soul about that, the warrior's code, remember?"

"Things are different now. I want my body back and I'll do anything to get it, and if that means rating out a friend, then that's what I gotta do, eh P-Chan?"

Akane's face went pale. "Ryoga? You're P-Chan? Oh my god, then all those times I changed in front of…it was you?"

"I wasn't my fault, Akane, believe me. I followed Ranma to Jusenkyo and he hit me over a cliff into one of the springs. I came searching for him and then found you. I didn't have the heart to tell you, 'cause… because I love you! And I want to be with you. I want to be more than just your pet P-Chan, I want to be your husband." Akane was totally shocked by Ryoga's sudden confession. She was speechless.

"Hey!" Genma interjected.

"Akane belongs to me," Ranma said. "She's my fiancée!"

"Once I kill you, she'll belong to me," Ryoga said. "Then I'll use the nanban mirror to go back in time and take your place and she'll believe I am you and we'll get married, and I'll be the husband she's always wanted. Everyone will live happily ever after."

"Hey! Who says I want to get married!" Akane broke-in.

"You're insane!" Ranma said.

"No, just idealistic!" he said. "Now for the first time in my entire life I'm happier than I've ever been!" He smiled sadistically. "Time to die, Saotome!"

**_TBC_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Ranma ½: The Madness of Ryoga! Pt.3**_

"I now see the tremendous possibilities of this exchange," Ryoga said. "I'm tried of living in your shadow, Ranma. It's time to break away from the normality of my isolated life. I now have the means to get everything I ever wanted… with your death!"

"Over my dead body!" Ranma said exceptionally angry.

"That's precisely my intention, Saotome," he said. "You'll be dead, and I'll be living in the past and living two lives, however I, the other Ryoga, won't know I'm really you."

"If you do this, Ryoga, I'll never speak to you again," Akane said.

Ryoga chuckled sadistically. "My sweet, Akane. You'll never know this even occurred when I'm finished," Ryoga said smirking crookedly.

"I won't allow you to harm my son," Genma said. "I'll fight you with every breath in my body!"

"And I will too!" Soun Tendo said. "This isn't like you, Ryoga; this change has done something to your mind."

"You're wrong, Mr. Tendo," Ryoga said. "It's opened my eyes."

"You don't have a hope in hell if beating me, even in my own body, Ryoga," Ranma said. "Being a martial artist is more than just skill and aptitude, you have to be attune to your own body's strengths and flaws, and to master one's body takes years."

"I don't have to be attune to your body, I know it's strengths and flaws, and it's one major flaw -- the curse -- is no longer a factor in the equation. I know all your moves and now I have your speed. I need nothin' else to beat you!"

Ranma crossed his arms over his chest. "Your so stupid," he said to the other. "After all these years you're still as thick-headed as ever. I would've thought you'd figured it out by now."

"Figured what out?"

"THAT YOU CAN'T BEAT ME!" Ranma shouted, and attacked him with several swift blows to his stomach and face using the Chestnuts Roasting Over An Open Fire technique. The attack took all but five seconds. Even in Ryoga's body, Ranma was still pretty fast.

Ryoga staggered back from the attack and tripped over a bucket of water, falling against back wall. He dropped to his butt and hit the back of his head against the wall. He rubbed his head with his left hand. He eyed Ranma sadly and shook his head apologetically. Then he started to blubber into his hands. "I'm so sorry, Ranma," he said. "I don't know what came over me. I-I went insane. But regardless, it's all over for me. Akane knows my secret and I can never live that down. She hates me."

Ranma stood over him and smiled thin. "Ryoga--" Ryoga lifted his face from his hands. "Trust me, we can fix it. She won't hate you."

"How?"

"We'll use the Nanban mirror to go back into the past, about five minutes from now, and change this, so it never happens. No one will know." He turned to Happosai and said, "Old freak, get the mirror."

"I will not be spoken to in that manner," Happosai said with an angry look on his face. Then he smiled. "But I can't be denied those lovely, buxom breasts of yours, Ranma."

"Just get the mirror, will ya!" Ranma said annoyed. "Just look at it this way, Ryoga. You may have to deal with becoming P-Chan again, but I'll also have to deal with changing into a girl and having to deal with that perverted goat! Lesser of two evils, I think?"

"What about what I think?" Akane chimed in. "Now that I know that Ryoga fell into Jusenkyo, I don't want things to go back to the way things were. All those times I slept with him in my bed and changed in front of him, it was really Ryoga! We'll change you two back another way. I never want to forget this."

"There isn't another way, Akane," Ranma said.

"See, she hates me," Ryoga said. "I'll never be able to live with myself. I might as well go and kill myself, my life is over."

"Not in my body you're not," Ranma said.

Happosai returned from his room with the mirror. It had a crack in it, but it still worked. Happosai, being the short man that he was, giving into the serenity of the situation, went to give the mirror to Ranma. But at the last second Ryoga snatched away from him instead and quickly got to his feet.

"Ryoga! What're ya doin'?" Ranma said.

Ryoga backed away from everyone and into the hallway. Then he chuckled maniacally. "I finally have the nanban mirror," he said, "and now I can put forth my plans to destroy you, Saotome!"

"I thought we settled this," he said.

"You may want to return to your previous life, but I don't! I'm perfectly fine in this body and I intend to keep it! No more changing to a pig. I can live a life of luxury with Akane as my wife. I will have her and the Tendo Dojo to do how I please. And with you outta the way, they'll be no one to stop me!"

"Just try me, Ryoga, I'll kick your ass!" Ranma said.

"Ryoga's really flipped, hasn't he?" Nabiki whispered to Kasumi, and Kasumi agreed. "I've never seen him like this."

"With everything he's been through, I don't blame him," Kasumi said. "He's been through a lot."

"But I know something you don't, Ranma," Ryoga said. "The perfected Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan technique. And this time I'm not going to be distracted by any of your childish tricks. This time it's do or die, and you're gonna die!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Happosai said, and he ran at Ryoga and snatched the Nanban mirror from his hand. In the other he had he an onion. He rubbed his eye with the onion and a tear began to form.

"No, STOP!" Ryoga said fearful.

The tear dropped on the mirror and Happosai said, "I wish to go back five minutes from now before all this happened."

"NOOO!" Ryoga cried out horrified, and jumped towards Happosai, in an attempt to make him stop. But it was too late, and they were both engulfed in a bright, white light, and disappeared.

---

Ryoga slipped on some water on the porch and grabbed onto Ranma for something to hold on to so he wouldn't fall into the floodwater in the backyard. But it was a poor choice, and as they started to fall backwards, something suddenly bumped him back and he fell forward onto Ranma on the porch.

Lightning struck the water a few seconds afterwards and Ryoga looked back as the water sizzled for a moment. He breathed a sigh of relief. Not only for not falling into the water and changing into P-Chan, but for what could have happened if that lightning had struck him if he was in the water. He could've been killed!

He turned back to Ranma for whom he was laying on top. Ranma was opening his eyes after bumping on the head from the fall, and said, "Thank you, Ranma," smiling.

Ranma opened his eyes fully and saw Ryoga laying on him in a provocative manner. He panicked, and shoved him off. "Get off me," he said. "And thanks for what?"

"For pulling me back from the water…" though he felt like he had been bumped rather than pulled away. But there was no one else in sight, so Ranma had to have helped him.

"I didn't do anything, you grabbed me. I was falling too."

"But if it wasn't you who bumped me back, then who was it?"

"What are you blabbering about, Ryoga? How could I bump you back when I was in front of you? All this water around is makin' ya crazy. If ya not goin' be any help, then stay outta the way."

"Heads up!" Nabiki said, and heaved a bucket of water out the back porch. The water soared through the air smacked Ryoga square in the face. He staggered backwards and fell off the porch and into the backyard. P-Chan surfaced in the water.

Ranma saw him first and quickly ran, snatched him from the water, and leapt onto the roof. He changed in the rain.

Ranma breathed a little sigh of relief. He smirked at P-Chan. "Hey, looks like I saved your bacon-butt again," he said. "I said I'd keep ya secret and I'm keepin' my promise. It's the warrior's code. But Akane's goin' wonder where ya got to, so just stay outta sight for a while until ya can change back. But I prefer you like this, means less hassle for me." P-Chan growled at him. "Don't growl at me, there's nothin' I can do. But if you think your life is rotten, just try living my life for while, then you'll change your tune real quick."

All of a sudden the house started to shake violently and Ranma grabbed onto the arch of the roof to steady himself. Then he noticed that there was a stranger standing in the backyard, knee deep in water.

The stranger, masked in darkness, extended his right arm in the air. The house then lifted from its foundation and floated in mid air a few feet off the ground.

Ranma slid off the roof, but managed to grab onto the gutters to avoid slamming into the ground. He had P-Chan in one hand and held onto the gutters with the other. Then when he was ready, he flipped down and landed safely on the ground, facing the stranger.

"Just who the hell are you?" Ranma questioned adamantly. "And what are you doin' with the Tendo house?"

Lightning flashed across the sky lighting up the area, revealing the stranger's identity. It was then that Ranma's got the shock of his life, he was looking at himself.

The other Ranma stepped into a more lightened area, lit up by the back porch light of the house. He put the house back down.

"I've come to finish the job I started, Saotome, and this time I don't intend to make any mistakes," he said. "Time to die."

_**-- to be continued…**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_RANMA ½: THE MADNESS OF RYOGA P.4_**

There was an old saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn.

And like woman, men also harbored a hidden rage. But martial artists were trained to control their emotions, to allow their actions voice their words.

From the roof of the Tendo Training Hall, Ranma felt a chill simmer down his spine. It was an eerie feeling, and one he couldn't quite explain. He looked upon himself in the back courtyard, but how could he be in two places at once and be of two different sexes? He was female and the other was male.

The weather rained heavily down. How could the other not be affected by the Jusenkyo curse? Unless it was an imposter?

But from this fake he could sense an unbelievable and powerful aura. It felt familiar and yet simultaneously different. Almost as if there were two indomitable spirits inhabiting the same body. It was his body, but the aura radiating from it was from someone else.

His first thought was Copycat Ken, but there was no way this immense aura was coming from him. Copycat Ken was merely a trickster - not a martial artist.

--

The air around Ranma began to swell and he felt a tightness in his jolts and muscles he couldn't explain. It was almost as if something was draining all the energy around him. And it was then that he noticed that this aura he was feeling could only come from one person: Ryoga Hibiki. He had felt this kind of energy drain before. It was the depressive power of a heavy heart: the _ShiShi Hokodan _technique.

But that was impossible. He was holding Ryoga in his hand at the moment. How could he be sensing Ryoga's _Lion Roar Shot _now if he was a pig? There had to be another explanation.

He jumped off the roof and landed in the water that flooded the Tendo property; faced his mirror image.

"I want answers and I wann'em now!" Ranma demanded, dropping P-Chan. P-Chan squealed and make a splash in the water. Then he swam to the porch, shook off, and watched the events unfold. "Who are you? You're not me. I know who I am!" Ranma said.

But the other refused to give him a verbal answer and a malice smirk crept onto his face. Ranma didn't understand.

Suddenly a violent wind whipped up out of nowhere and tossed Ranma into the water, making a big splash.

Ranma emerged from the water. He spit and got to his feet, clenching his fists at his side. He gave the other a nasty and hateful stare. "You know what, buddy," he started to say, "I dunno who you are, but I don't care anymore. You're gonna down. And when you do, you better start explainin'!"

Ranma leapt into the air and attacked the other. However, his effects were in vain. And invisible force thrust him back tossed him back into the water. He made an even bigger splash this time and water thundered over him like a broken dike. Ranma emerged once more and looked back at the other, even angrier.

"Idiot! You're no match for me now." The other finally said. "By a freak of nature, I've been granted a wondrous gift. Hence my spiritual powers have grown immensely. I am no longer the weakling you used to push around, Ranma. My skills have increased a hundred fold. At first I didn't understand why this had happened to me, but it's clear to me now… and the conjoining of our body and souls has given me the power to finally defeat you once and for all! Our skills are one, genetically imprinted as one."

"You're nuts, whoever you are. And about that… who are you?"

"My name is no longer important because am I no longer and will never be him again. All you have to be concerned about it is how you wanna to die. But sorry. I'm afraid I've already chosen your fate."

And he pointed above him.

Ranma glanced up and gasped, seeing a gigantic ball of energy hovering high above the Tendo Training Hall. It was big enough to completely obliterate every living thing in the vicinity.

"I don't understand, how is this possible?" Ranma began to say. "Only Ryoga can perform the _Loin Roar Shot_ technique. But you're not him … you're me…or are you? Are you some sort of demon? What grudge do you have against me?"

"The biggest one of all…" the other said. "The grudge of REVENGE!"

Instantly, the other summoned the reminder of his power and added it to the gigantic ball of energy, draining himself of all spiritual Ki, of all emotion. And the gigantic ball of energy began to plummet to the ground, like a meteorite striking the earth at a billion times a second.

There was a tremendous explosion and the ground rocked with what felt like a level ten rioter scale earthquake. The Tendo Training Hall was destroyed in seconds and all its inhabitants inside and out were instantly obliterated. All that remained of the property was a deep crater where the house once stood.

When the winds of the explosion subsided and the debris settled, the heat from the energy sizzling from the ground, the other opened his eyes and looked around. Temporarily disorientated he lost his balance and collapsed to his knees. But he got right back up and witnessed the huge crater he was standing in.

He had done it. He had generated enough power with the Ultimate ShiShi Hokodan to bring this much destruction. The entire Tendo property was destroyed, but he didn't care. He had finally defeated the only rival who had ever brought him dishonor. Ranma Saotome was finally dead!

And Ryoga laughed, and rejoiced.

"I finally did it! I finally beat you, Ranma!" he shouted out.

He climbed out of the crater and surveyed what he had done.

Seeing what he had done, he danced around and cheered.

Suddenly he bumped into something and nearly tripped. He looked down and there half-buried was a body. He crouched down and eyed the dead person. He didn't know who it was - maybe Ranma - because the person's face was planted deep into the debris and dirt he couldn't tell. Humoring himself, he brushed off some of the dirt from the body and then suddenly froze in horror. He knew who it was.

Of all people…

It was his beloved, Akane Tendo.

He swept her up into his arms and cradled her broken body and wept. He was so intent on killing Saotome that he'd forgotten about everyone else.

He looked down at her dirt encrusted face, her lifeless head limp in his arms. "I didn't mean it, Akane. Honest I didn't. My target was Ranma. Not you. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it! I'm sorry, my beloved." He brought her head under his chin and rocked her back and forth cradling her body in his arms, blubbering out loud, and he didn't care who say or heard him.

He should've listened to her before using the nan-ban mirror to time travel. She said they'd find a way to reverse what the lightning had done to him and Ranma. But he didn't want to listen. He was too blinded by rage that he blocked everything other than his own personal vendetta out of his mind. He couldn't bare living in Ranma's body the rest of his life even though he was cured of the pig.

But…

Wait a minute.

"But I can change these events, the magic mirror can take me back," he said. "I can use it to reverse what I've done. Yes! That's what I'll do. Go back. And bring you back to life, Akane."

"That's easier said than done," Happosai (the one who followed him through time) said, holding the magic mirror in his hand.

Ryoga looked at him standing on a huge rock that had been uprooted from the ShiShi Hokodan explosion. And to his shock and horror, the "nan-ban" mirror was shattered and lay in a thousand pieces at his feet.

There was no way to get back without the mirror.

-- tbc


	5. Chapter 5

**THE MADNESS OF RYOGA - PART 5**

Ryoga collapsed to his knees as he saw the broken pieces of the Nanban mirror on the ground, and cried.

Happosai came to him and put a sympathetic hand on the kid's shoulder in comfort. There was absolutely no way home for them. But he was more worried about Ryoga. He had killed both Ranma and Akane in an unrelenting bout of rage with an ultimate Shi-Shi Hokodan blast that destroyed everything in a quarter mile radius.

Fearing the loss of his own sanity, Happosai kept calm. With no one to turn to, he would have to come to be a father figure to Ryoga. Train him. Control his anger. And foremost, save him from himself.

Suicide. Ryoga was emotionally unstable, and after what he had done, Happosai wouldn't put it pass the boy to take his own life. So he had to distract him in some way, give him hope that life was still worth living.

Ryoga was a powerful martial artist. He couldn't let the boy throw it all away. Despite is checkered past, he was willing to put it all aside to help the lad re-grow his self-confidence. He would become Ryoga's new mentor and parent.

"I killed them all. I don't deserve to live. The Shi-Shi Hokodan is too powerful or one man to wield. It's secret has to die with me."

"A martial artist never gives up, no matter the adversary, Ryoga." Happosai's firm tone caught Ryoga's attention. "You killed everyone in a blind rage. . .but killing yourself is not the answer. Living is the greatest challenge every martial artist must face even when his friends are gone."

Ryoga sharply turned to the diminutive martial artist. "How can I go on after what I've done? And the Nanban mirror is smashed. There's no way for us to return to our own time."

"Then we make a home here. You and me. I'll train you, teach you to control that rage of yours. In exchange, you become my student."

"And a cat burglar of woman's panties? No way, old man!"

"I'm willing to change my ways to be your teacher. It's a small price to pay to help you manage your pain. I'm the last surviving member of the Anything-Goes Martial Arts, and I want you to learn its techniques to pass them on."

"I'm not interested in your school of martial arts. I have my own techniques and style that I learned from my father. I progressed on my own after he died."

"I'm trying to help you, son! You owe me! I showed you the mirror so we could travel in time to fix what had happened in the past with you and Ranma."

"Instead it compounded things. I wasn't supposed to kill everyone. My emotions got the better of me, and I used the mirror to travel in time to a time to kill Ranma."

"You have only yourself to blame for that. I've seen this in other people. You have a genetic disposition for violence. Ever since I first met you, you've been angry and swearing revenge on Ranma at every opportunity for what he did to you, or what your thought was his fault. But falling in that spring of drowned pig was an accident. As both Ryoga and P-Chan you feel a duty to protect Akane from Ranma because he treats her inappropriately than a fiancée should. Well, let me tell you something Ryoga, despite all your training and any special techniques you pick up, you don't have a hope in hell of beating Ranma. And you know why. . .because with each battle you engage in with him, you're not only fighting him, but also yourself, your own pride and ego. For a martial artist to be driven by emotions alone is a poor stratagem, because most assuredly, the one who loses is you. A win is empty. You lose even before you begin."

"But I beat Ranma. . ."

"No, you didn't - you killed him. And in doing so, lost everything you were fighting for. What greater defeat for a martial artist is that."

Ryoga started to cry again. "You're right. In trying to defeat Ranma, I only defeated myself."

"But that doesn't mean it's the end of it. You still have a lot more fight in you. Use that passion and emotion to help others, atone for your sin in killing Ranma and the others. Learn to control your anger, instead of letting it control you. Let me teach you the ways of the Anything-Goes Martial Arts and through my tutelage, you'll become a stronger and a more confident martial artist."

Happosai smiled. "I have faith in you, lad. You may not look like who you remember, but you're no longer cursed with the pig. By some strange quirk of fortunate, it must have been eliminated with the Switcharoo. You look like Ranma, but you can be anyone you choose. And me, being your mentor, I have the privilege to pick your new name, if you choose. . ."

"Oh no, old man. I remember the name you gave to that guy you bathed in a Jusenkyo spring, and he came after you because of it. Pantyhose Taro, I believe. I'll choose my own name. . .if I decide to change it. But I might just want to keep the name Ryoga, or use Ranma, in honor of him."

Water spouts burst everywhere from the damage he had inflicted upon the area. He had not only destroyed the Tendo house and other homes around it, but also severely damaged water pipes that fed to them, and now water showered down upon the area, filling craters, creating puddles everywhere. He himself was wet, but had not changed - he was finally whole, the man he once was before falling in Jusenkyo.

But he was now forever trapped in Ranma Saotome's body. It was a curse in its own rite.

He looked down into a puddle and saw the face of his rival staring back at him. A hand went to the face, his hand, and he felt his right cheek. It was real. He wasn't dreaming this. If it was a dream, it was most assuredly a nightmare. Happosai's words rang true through his mind. He had so much to give, and he would spend the rest of his life atoning for what he had done today.

His brow folded thoughtfully as he looked at his new reflection and a sudden and inexplicitable thought sprang to mind. "Water! It can sometimes act like a mirror," he excitedly said. "Old man, gather up all the pieces of the mirror. I have an idea. If it works, we can go home."

* * *

Happosai helped Ryoga gather up all the broken pieces of the Nanban mirror and put them all in a pile. Then Ryoga spent time sorting them and piecing them together like a jigsaw puzzle, organizing them under water in a near-by puddle. All-in-all, it took a couple of hours. He told Happosai what he had in mind, but the elder martial artist had his doubts. Happosai had never seen the mirror used in such a way.

"Now what?" Happosai said, once the Nanban mirror was pieced back together underwater. Although the cracks were noticeable, all the pieces fit nicely. The mirror had broken cleanly, so no little piece were left out. "I still don't believe this will work. The mirror is broken, it won't work."

"Have faith, old man," Ryoga said firmly. "I know what I'm doing. I know this will work. The water will act as a reflective surface. Now all that's left is for one of us to cry, so a tear can fall into the water - and make a wish."

"You know, that's very smart." Happosai smiled, and gave Ryoga a hearty congratulatory slap on the back. Ryoga exhaled a breath from the hard hit. "I under-estimated you, Ryoga. I always took you as the brute type, never smart."

Ryoga withheld a sneer. "I'll try not to take that as an insult. There's more to me than martial arts. I may travel a lot, but on my journeys I take books to read. I school myself. It's just around Akane I forget myself, and that's why I act dumb."

"Well then, you're a pretty good actor." Happosai smiled. Ryoga knew he was joking. "You really love Akane, don't you?"

"With all my heart and soul. But until I'm cured of the pig, she must never know my true feelings, despite expressing, or acting foolishly around her many times before. I'm actually very kind. I'm just passionate in what I want."

"I can attest to that."

"If this works, I'll return to being me again. But I'll also become nothing more than her pet P-Chan to her."

"Love takes time. Even love at first sight. You're still young. Enjoy your youth while it lasts. And try not to be so angry. It's not worth the effort."

"I'll try and remember that." Ryoga leaned over the puddle and looked into the mirror. Once again the face of Ranma Saotome stared back at him. He turned to Happosai. "Ready?"

Happosai nodded assuredly.

Looking back, Ryoga stared into the mirror and closed his eyes, reaching deep into the recesses of his mind. He thought of the saddest thing he could think of - never being able to see Akane again if this didn't work - and a tear fell from his right eye and splashed into the water.

He opened his eyes, and saw the water begin to emanate with a magical glow. He made a wish.

Instantly he found himself back in the Tendo Home.

Momentarily, he saw both his double and Ranma plunging into the flood water that surrounded the courtyard after a fight. Using his Breaking Point technique, he touched the water with a finger and forced it to separate, cutting a trench between the two martial artists, pushing each aside.

A moment later, lightning struck, coursing down, hitting the empty trench, absorbed into the ground harmlessly. Then the flood water filled the trench with the martial artists.

No one had seen him, and no one would. Happosai either. He had changed history. And now he was back in his regular body, or as a regular as he could be cursed with the pig. He jumped out of sight, and joined Happosai on the roof.

"You did good, Ryoga," Happosai said. "You prevented the Switchroo."

"Then why am still here? I'm back to normal, too."

"The universe needs time to reorder itself. Soon we won't exist. But ourselves in this time will continue to live on."

"I just hope me - that Ryoga - learns to control his anger. I'd hate to see anything like what happened happen again."

"There's an old saying: the greatest accomplishments in life are the things you'll have to work hard for. Your double will eventually learn what you've learned, but it might take him a little longer. In the meantime, leave things as they are, and everything will work out."

Ryoga smiled, and nodded. . .

* * *

"Ryoga, you idiot!"

Ranma emerged from the water in his female form cursing his rival, but when he looked around he didn't see Ryoga anywhere in sight. And it was a good thing, or Akane would see him as P-Chan. Ryoga went into the water and P-Chan comes out. She wasn't dumb, she'd put two-and-two together quickly. Ryoga may have been able to fool her in the past, but this change was pretty cut and dry. But where was the fool? He hadn't submerged yet. He was probably hiding underwater somewhere afraid to come out.

"Oh my heavens! Are you two alright?" Kasumi nearly dropped a plate of food she carried as she saw what nearly happened. "That lightning almost hit you two. Why did the water split like that? It saved your life."

The rest of the household raced onto the terrace. "Ranma, where's Ryoga?" Akane asked, looking around. "I don't see him. He's still underwater, he may be unconscious. Find him, please. Ryoga! Where are you Ryoga!"

"Quiet Akane. You'll wake the dead with your all that shouting. I'll find him." Ranma dived under the water, it was about a meter deep, so he had plenty of room to swim around. And there was Ryoga, trying to keep from floating to the surface holding onto a stone next to the pond. But it was obvious from the bubbles coming from his mouth that he was quickly running out of air. "Ryoga. . ." Ranma's voice softly reverberated underwater. Then he pointed up.

Ryoga shook his head and refused to swim to the surface. Ranma had a thought and pried the pig from the stone. Then he swam to the bottom, crouched down and shot up quickly to the surface, bursting through like a bullet, flying through the air, landing on the roof of the house. He shook his head. P-Chan shook himself off, despite the rain continuing to fall.

"Whoo, that was a close one," Ranma remarked. "You're secret's safe again. Once again I save your bacon."

"Ranma! Is Ryoga up there with you?" Akane said.

Ranma leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down at Akane. "Yeah, he bumped his head underwater when the water did that funky separation thing, but he'll be alright." The funky separation thing, Ranma thought. He knew it better by another name: The Breaking Point. But how did Ryoga manage to perform that technique underwater and as P-Chan. It was impossible to fathom. Ryoga was only able do it as a human. He turned and looked at P-Chan. "You better get inside and change, Ryoga, or Akane's gonna wanna come up here and see you." P-Chan squeaked, and immediately jumped down the other side of the house.

Ranma jumped down into the courtyard as a distraction so Ryoga had time to change. And as he kept the other's attention, P-Chan snuck behind them down the hall and pass the terrace.

"So, where's Ryoga?" Akane asked.

Ranma rubbed the back of his head, laughed, and quickly thought of an excuse why Ryoga was missing. "He's, um, he went down the other side of the house."

"Why would he do that?"

"Ah, less water?"

Ryoga quickly emerged from the bathroom soaking wet. Every once of him was drenched which added to his alibi that he had fallen into the water with Ranma just a moment ago. Akane and others turned to see him. "Ah. . .hi," he said, masked behind a deceitful, innocent smile.

"You're okay. Ranma said you bumped your head."

Ryoga blushed, touched that Akane cared about him so much. He rubbed the back of his head, playing to the deceit Ranma had concocted. "I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. I've been hit harder, trust me."

Ranma saw Akane's eyes pierce deep into his soul as she looked sharply at him angry. "And, no doubt, Ranma hit you. Right, Ranma?"

"Hey, no I didn't," Ranma protested.

"Well, this wouldn't have happened if you two weren't always fighting. What is with you guys all the time? Every time you get together, you always fight. Is it some sort of martial artist macho thing? The only way you feel manly is if you beat each other to a pulp!"

"It's all in good fun," Ryoga tried to make an excuse.

"Not some of the matches I've seen," Akane said, turning back to him. "Sometimes you just want to kill each other. And you're worse of all, Ryoga. You're always so angry at Ranma. Why? Why do yoy have so much animosity towards him? What did he do to you that makes you so mad?"

"That's enough, Akane. Please." Kasumi stood just inside the terrance. "There's no need for an interrogation. These two just survived a near fatal accident. They were nearly struck by lightning in water which would have electrocuted them. I think this calls for a celebration."

"Yeah, what Kasumi said," Ranma said. "Ryoga isn't the only one whose hot-tempered here. You're so un-cute!"

Ryoga took offense and growled angry. He raised a clenched fist at Ranma. "Don't speak to her like that, or I'll make you regret it!"

Ranma folded his arms across his buxom chest. He didn't say a word. He felt he owned Ryoga this one. If it wasn't for him, they'd probably both be dead. But how Ryoga was able to push both of them away like he did was strange. The Breaking Point came from the house and Ryoga was in the middle of the courtyard with him in the water. He saw the water separate and he was pushed back. The lightning struck aimlessly, but at the precise spot where they both had been. It was almost as if it was a divine miracle had saved them, pushing them aside from oharm. It had to be a coincidence, he thought. But certainly an unexplained one at that.

He got out of the water and dried off. Then sat down with the family and ate.

Soon afterwards, the storm lifted and the sun came out. Back to his male self, he stepped out onto the terrace with Ryoga and watched the setting sun. Ryoga was still angry with him for what he had said to Akane. But he was always mad, it was his nature. He had a bad temper and he needed to control it.

But Ranma apologized to him anyway just to make things right, to make his friend happy, to make him think he had won. It was the least he could do.

And Ryoga smiled.

END


End file.

Ranma, Suspense